Miles Neumann

Miles Neumann

I think that the overarching features of the area are similar in my drawing and in the actual map. I paid particular attention to the layout of buildings in the yard as well as the area near The Charles on the Somerville side. I also focused a lot on making sure to add color to the photo in order to separate different types of spaces, in particular: water, pavement, grass, and buildings (both classic brick and modern). One aspect that I found particularly difficult was the proportionality of roads, the exact directions of each road, and how the road systems are connected. In addition, while it was not very hard to picture each part of the map from the perspective of someone walking on the ground, I found it particularly difficult to mentally adjust this image to a bird’s eye view. I think that my map and the exact map are different primarily because people do not remember tiny details of places with which they do not normally interact. For example, I walk down JFK St. to the boathouse every day yet I could hardly remember the order of the shops along the street except for the ones that I frequently visit (i.e. CVS). However, as I mentioned earlier, I think that people retain a good general relative spatial perception of the area around them with regard to the general shapes of roads, buildings, and parks. In other words, I know that the Science Center is beside Annenberg and across from Canaday, but it is hard for me to remember exactly how the path between the buildings looks or what the relative distances between each one are.